UCUniversity of Cincinnati-Main Campus · Genetics · Biology
Neuroinflammation and Cell Signaling Lab
Yu Luo · Cincinnati, Ohio
Research Focus
Dr. Yu Luo's lab at the University of Cincinnati focuses on understanding how specific signaling pathways in the brain, particularly those involving microglia and astrocytes, affect brain health and diseases like stroke and Alzheimer's. The research aims to uncover the roles of the TGF-beta signaling pathway in maintaining healthy brain cells and to explore how the choroid plexus and cerebrospinal fluid contribute to cognitive function, especially during aging and in neurodegenerative conditions.
neuroinflammationmicrogliaastrocytesTGF-beta signalingchoroid plexuscerebrospinal fluidAlzheimer's diseasestrokebrain agingcell signaling
Research Aims
5AIM 01Investigate the role of TGF-beta signaling in microglia and astrocyte interactions during CNS injury.
AIM 02Characterize the choroid plexus and cerebrospinal fluid's role in brain homeostasis and aging.
AIM 03Establish tools for targeted manipulation of choroid plexus cells in mouse models.
AIM 04Examine the impact of cerebrospinal fluid on amyloid and tau protein clearance in Alzheimer's models.
AIM 05Assess the effects of choroid plexus ablation on cognitive function and neuroinflammation.
Skills the Lab Values
cell culturegenetic engineeringmouse modelsimmunohistochemistryWestern blotRNA extractionbehavioral assaysdose-response studiestransgenic technologies
Output against the department
Publications134bottom 47% of dept.681st of 1,291
this lab
most publishedleast published
Citations4.5kbottom 32% of dept.873rd of 1,291
this lab
most citedleast cited
Career totals from OpenAlex, compared against labs that share a department. A department spans everything from one paper to tens of thousands, so bar heights are on a log scale — otherwise the largest lab would flatten every other bar to a line.